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UW faculty dissect growing relationship with China

February 1, 2013

In forging connections with China, UW-Madison has created an international model for the university. The Innovation Office in Shanghai has opened up new opportunities for students, faculty and leaders in business and government.Read more »

The Wisconsin China Initiative (WCI) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is ramping up efforts to engage with faculty and staff across campus to promote interests and coordinate activities in the Greater China region as Nicole Huang, professor of Chinese literature and visual culture, takes over as director.Read more »

Chinese Champions visit with Badgers

September 12, 2012

They are all champions, and today, the Wisconsin volleyball team had a chance to meet eight Chinese athletes as part of the UW’s Chinese Champions Program. The eight athletes, including Olympic volleyball gold medalist Yang Hao, were all either Olympians or world champions in their respective sports.Read more »

China visit aims to deepen Wisconsin’s engagement

June 7, 2012

University of Wisconsin-Madison Interim Chancellor David Ward is leading a Wisconsin delegation to China, where he will inaugurate UW-Madison's first overseas outpost and participate in events aimed at deepening engagement with Chinese partners.

The delegation, which includes UW-Madison representatives along with state of Wisconsin and state business officials, will travel to Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong from June 8-20.Read more »

As China expands its domestic milk production, it will buy more milk products from the United States.

That may seem counterintuitive, but it's really just a case of the Chinese dairy industry generating more demand than it will be able to supply, according to an analysis by UW-Madison agricultural economists.Read more »

1979 Delegations to China have Enduring Impact

October 14, 2011

Among the hundreds of new graduate students who arrived on campus for the start of the fall 2011 semester, Zhao Jingzhou of Shanghai could claim a unique connection to a special moment in UW-China relations.

Mr. Zhao’s grandfather arrived in Madison 32 years ago as a member of the first group of visiting scholars to come to Wisconsin following the normalization of US-China relations.

“Those two years in UW-Madison were one of the most precious memories of my grandfather,” Mr. Zhao said.

His family ties are a reminder that UW-Madison was a national leader in resuming academic connections to the People’s Republic of China. In 1979, then-ChancellorRead more »

Chinese Champions Visit Cranberry and Ginseng Growers

September 29, 2011

A group of world-class Chinese athletes accustomed to competing on the international stage got a close look at two international stars of Wisconsin agriculture—cranberries and ginseng. The student-athletes in the Chinese Champions Program at the University of Wisconsin–Madison traveled north to broaden their perspective on their host state.Read more »

Chinese Champions Welcomed at Camp Randall

September 14, 2011

University of Wisconsin–Madison Chancellor David Ward officially welcomed the 2011 class of the Chinese Champions Program to Camp Randall Stadium during the Badgers football game on Saturday. More than 80,300 Badger fans greeted the Chinese superstars, who represented a combined total of more than 12 Olympic and 30 world championship medals.

Halfway through the trip, Bousquet reflects on the journey thus far.Read more »

Brewers welcome Chinese Champions

June 29, 2011

A group of elite Chinese athletes studying at the University of Wisconsin–Madison got an inside look at America’s national pastime last week – while serving a few surprises for their hosts.

Fifteen members of the Chinese Champions Program, visiting UW-Madison for nine months of language and culture studies, attended the sold-out Milwaukee Brewers game against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday, June 25 as special guests of the club.

In a surprise clubhouse competition, table tennis player Zhang Yining took on three Brewers. The ten-time world champion traded volleys with All-Star Corey Hart, Cy Young winner Zack Greinke and John Axford.

“I’m pretty sure she was just toying with us,” joked Axford.

“The forehand is very good,” said Zhang, with a smile. “The backhand needs more practice.” Read the full story »

The Brewers featured photos of the event on Brewers.com. Photos used with permission from the Milwaukee Brewers and MLB Advanced Media. For more on this event visit http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com.

China trip update from Dean Bousquet

May 26, 2011

Gilles Bousquet, dean of International Studies and vice provost for globalization, currently is leading a University of Wisconsin–Madison delegation on a two-week visit to China, aimed at expanding and deepening the university’s connections there. The itinerary includes events and meetings in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Hong Kong, and Beijing.

Back to China: Shanghai, days two and three

May 23, 2011

SHANGHAI – UW-Madison’s most recent delegation to China, led by Gilles Bousquet, is wrapping up its time in Shanghai with a visit to top universities.

At Fudan University, one of China's oldest and most prestigious campuses, Bousquet and Fudan Vice President Yonghao Gui met on Friday, May 20 to discuss possibilities for collaboration between the two universities, particularly in the area of medical research.

One such collaboration is already well underway, as UW-Madison professor Jack Jiang, Director of International Collaborative Research and Translational Research for the Department of Surgery, has partnered with Zhengmin Wang, a distinguished Fudan professor of otolaryngology. Bousquet presented Wang with an award in recognition of this longstanding relationship. The group also met with Adam Rieves, a UW-Madison bioengineering student spending two weeks in Jiang’s Shanghai lab.

Adam Rieves

On Saturday, May 21, Bousquet and Laurie Dennis, associate director of UW-Madison’s China Initiative, visited East China Normal University. Bousquet had visited ECNU last spring with Chancellor Biddy Martin; in turn, ECNU administrators including President Yu Lizhong visited UW-Madison last September. ECNU specializes in education and currently serves about 4,000 international students each year, including 1,000 from the United States.

Bousquet to lead UW-Madison delegation to China

May 17, 2011

To follow up on Chancellor Biddy Martin’s two visits to China in 2010, a delegation from the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Division of International Studies is traveling there this month to continue the university’s efforts to expand and deepen connections in this important region of the world.

“The economic, social and cultural changes in China … make it imperative that all of us learn more about China, spend time there and engage with the Chinese people,” Martin wrote last year, after her first visit. “It’s an exciting place to be and an important place to understand.”Read more »

Chinese Champions arrive on campus

April 14, 2011

Faculty, staff and members of Madison’s Chinese community joined Chancellor Biddy Martin at Olin House to welcome 15 world-class Chinese athletes, including one coach, to the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“I find it very moving to have you here, and to be in the presence of young people who have achieved as much as you have all achieved,” said Chancellor Martin, addressing the athletes. “We are honored; we can’t wait to spend time with you.”

With a visit by the UW Spirit Squad, the atmosphere was light. As kinesiology professor and program coordinator Li Li Ji introduced the athletes, they posed for snapshots with Bucky Badger and flashed “W” with their fingers.

Children crowded near the podium as Zhang Yining, a national superstar in table tennis, made brief remarks in English.Read more »

Chinese Champions arrive on campus

April 1, 2011

The 16 athletes of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Chinese Champions Program stepped off of a chartered bus into a swarm of excited fans — including Bucky Badger himself.

Arriving at approximately 9 p.m. on Thursday, March 31, the athletes were greeted by dozens of members of Madison's Chinese community outside the Armory and Gymnasium (Red Gym). UW-Madison students, families and others crowded near the curb with flowers and cameras, hoping to catch a glimpse of world champions such as Zhang Yining and Gong Ruina. Read more »

UW-Madison welcomes new group of China’s champions

March 29, 2011

Sixteen accomplished Chinese student-athletes, including one coach, will spend nearly nine months living and studying at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The group, which includes multiple world champions and Olympic medal winners, is the second cohort in the university's partnership with Beijing Sport University, the foremost sports, physical education and exercise science institution in China. Read more »

Meet the athletes

March 29, 2011

Building on the success of last year's inaugural cohort, a second group of elite Chinese student-athletes will arrive at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on Thursday, March 31, as part of the Chinese Champions Program.

The 16 athletes (including one coach) will stay in Madison until mid-December as part of a unique exchange with Beijing Sport University (BSU), the foremost sports, physical education and exercise science institution in China.

During the spring, summer and fall at UW-Madison, the group will participate in three sessions of a nondegree academic program. The curriculum includes instruction in English as a Second Language and kinesiology, as well as internships focusing on training, coaching and events management. They will also participate in tours and other community activities.

This year's student-athletes:

The student-athletes are:

Zhang Yining is considered one of top female table tennis players in history. She held the International Table Tennis Federation's (ITTF) No. 1 ranking in both women's singles and women's doubles for more than five years. At the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, she won gold medals in both the women's singles and women's team events. She also won two gold medals in 2004, in women's singles and women's doubles. For her dominant presence on the world stage, Zhang took the Olympic Oath on behalf of all athletes at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games.

Gong Ruina is one of China's all-time greatest women's badminton players. At the IBF World Championships, playing singles, she won gold in 1998 and 2001, silver in 2003 and bronze in 1999. Her numerous international titles include the 2003 Denmark Open, 2004 Swedish Open and 2004 British Open, with many silver medals. She also played on China's world champion teams of 2002 and 2004.

Han Xiaopeng, one of the most accomplished winter sport athletes in China, won a gold medal in the men's aerial freestyle skiing event at the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics. In doing so, he became the first male Chinese athlete to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics. He successfully defended his title in 2010, winning gold at the Vancouver Winter Olympics. In 2007, he won his event at both the 2007 World Championships and Asian Winter Games.

Tang Jingzhi broke a world record as a member of China's gold-medal 4x200m freestyle relay team at the 2002 Moscow Swim Championships. In 2003, she won gold in the 800m freestyle at the World Championships. At the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, she won a silver medal as a member of the women's 4x200m freestyle relay team. She also won gold as part of the 4x200m freestyle relay team at the 2002 Pusan Asian Games.

Qiu Hongxia is a weightlifter whose most celebrated accomplishment came at the 2006 World Weightlifting Championships. Competing in the women's lightweight (53kg) events, she won all three styles of weightlifting and set two world records in her class (both clean and jerk and total weight). In the subsequent years, she has won multiple national and international titles.

Zhou Yan, Liu Yin and Xue Qinshuang are members of the Chinese national women's curling team, skipped by Wang Bingyu (who came to UW-Madison in the first cohort of athletes). Currently, Zhou plays lead, Liu plays third and Xue plays second. The team won the bronze medal at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, China's first ever Olympic medal in curling, after losing to eventual gold medalists Sweden in the semifinals. The team has won a World Championship (2009), a world silver medal (2008) and three Pacific Championships (2006-08). Zhou and Xue curled in their first tournament (2002 Pacific Curling Championships) after curling for only two years; Liu, with the same experience, was an alternate.

He Lumin won the gold medal in 1998 at the 13th Asian Taekwondo Championships — the first Chinese person to hold the title. From 1999-2001, she won three World Women's Taekwondo Championships in a row in the welterweight (67kg) event, becoming an idol for women in taekwondo.

Wang Shuo was a taekwondo jin. In 1999, at the age of 15, she won a gold medal at the seventh World Women's Taekwondo Championships in the 55kg event.

Zhou Yafei won a bronze medal as a member of the women's 4x100 medley relay team at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, swimming the butterfly leg. The team set an Asian record. At the 2003 World Championships, she was a member of the first-place 4x100 medley and third-place 4x200 freestyle relay teams and took the bronze in the 200-meter individual medley. She was also a member of the fourth-place 4x100 medley relay team at the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics.

Shi Xin is a synchronized swimmer. She won a silver medal in the solo event at the 2010 FINA Synchronized Swimming World Cup, the first for China in that event.

Zhong Hongyan is one of China's most accomplished female kayakers/sprint canoers. From 1998-2008, she won five gold and four silver medals in international competition, including a silver in 2002 (four-person kayak, 1000m) and a bronze in 2006 (solo kayak, 500m) at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships. At the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics, she placed fourth in the two-person kayak, 500m event.

Liu Xia competed in judo, primarily at the half-heavyweight (78 kg) weight. She won a silver medal at the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics, matching her finish that year at the Asian Judo Championships. In 2007, she won the gold at the Asian Judo Championships.

Wang Lihong was a pitcher on the Chinese national softball team. She won a silver medal at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics — the first in which softball was recognized as a medal sport — playing seven matches. At the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics, she finished fourth, playing in three matches.

Wrestling coach Chen Delong will also participate in the program. Chen competed in men's freestyle wrestling in the late 1990s/early 2000s.

UW Surgery collaborates with Beijing counterparts

Feb. 28, 2011

Doctors in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Surgery are finding new ways to collaborate with their colleagues at a major hospital in Beijing.

The new collaboration was launched in March during a business trip to China by Dr. Bruce Harms, chief of the Colorectal Surgery Section at UW-Madison. Dr. Harms visited Chinese PLA General Hospital in Beijing, a 5,000-bed medical and research center formerly known as the “301 Military Hospital” (PLA stands for People’s Liberation Army). Dr. Harms left Beijing wanting to know more about Chinese PLA’s extensive experience in treating gastric cancer.